Dwarves
The Dwarves of Itsula are creatures made entirely of the earth and granted the spark of life from a shard of Heartstone. Unlike most living things, the Dwarves do not age age and, in fact, are begin life at physical maturity. Although mostly known as Dwarves, they prefer to be called Dwerrows. The derogatory term 'dwarf' is only used by other races and is meant to make fun of their minute stature. Etymologically, it is unclear if the word dwarf has any prior meaning. =Morphology= Dwarves have no set morphology. Usually they appear as small earthy humanoids. They may have hair made of grass or eyes of gemstones. This however, is not a hard and fast rule . Dwarves take life when a piece of Heartstone is set into a recepticle inside the sculpted figure made by their Elder. The Heartstone grants life to the the sculpted Dwarf. Dwarves are constructed and as such do not age. They do, however, still succumb to death from old age. This process is known by dwarves as withering. The materials that form a dwerrow's body slowly decay and break away and, as they become Elders, they eventually turn to dust. The shard of Heartstone used to animate them is not destroyed by this process and usually during the funeral rites the shard is taken and used to grant life to a new Dwarf. Dwarves are typically constructed with powerful eyes that provide far more sensory information than their organic counterparts. These eyes shine even in darkness. Sub-Species * Ul-Dwerrow * Nal-Dwerrow * An-Dwerrow Distribution Dwarves are found wherever there may be heartstone fragments. Before The Shattering, they were mostly centralized around the Heartstone, a small mountain composed entirely of magical stone that granted the dwarves their life. This area was known as the Heartland. After the destruction of most of the Heartland the few remaining dwarves began to search for fragments of their homeland. They can now be found throughout most of Itsula, albeit in small numbers. Generally they live in small, and highly specialized subterranean communities. Often these are found in especially hilly or mountainous terrain. Major Communities * Heartland =Culture= Religion Dwarven spirituality is complex to say the least. While they don't normally worship any entity in specific they do show a great reverence to both the Heartstone and The First Dwarf. The Dwerrow put great importance on their Elders. Their Elders sculpt them and transfer life to them either through their own heartstone upon withering or by uncovering a lost fragment of heartstone. Many Dwerrow believe that their elders protect them and in some cases can even be communicated with. The Heartstone While the Heartstone is what grants all dwarves their lives it is not believed to be a living entity. Most dwarves do not view it as divine in nature. Despite this distinction it is still treated as the most holy of all dwarven ideas and the pursuit of its fragments is considered to be of utmost importance. The First Dwarf The First Dwarf is seen as a kind of spiritual leader. He was the very first dwarf to ever be granted life by the Heartstone and despite having withered many times over the years it is believed he is reincarnated every time his fragment animates another dwarf. Some Dwarven factions even worship The First Dwarf as a kind of living god, though this is uncommon. Reincarnation Many Dwerrow believe in a form of reincarnation. They believe that their souls are stored in each fragment of heartstone and that upon their withering their lifeforce returns there for storage. They believe that each time a heartstone is used to animate a Dwarf that they are reborn again. These Dwerrow believe that despite the soul being the same the memories do not survive the withering, which is a holy process that grinds the evils of life away. The exception to this is The First Dwarf whom is believed to remember all of his past lives up until his initial creation. Other Religions Despite the prevalence of Dwarven ancestor worship and reincarnation beliefs some Dwarves follow the teachings of other religions and gods. Racial Attitudes Notable Persons * The First Dwarf Notable Organizations *The Dwerrow Mason Fellowship =Government & Nations= =Magic= Dwarves have several forms of innate magic: * A dwarf always knows where they are in relation to their Heartstone. * Depending on the color of their gemstone eyes, some dwarves can spot truth in a speaker's heart, water in a barren land, innate magic in another being, or gold in any form or shape. This draws life-force from their heartstone, and shortens their lifespan. =Technology= =History= * The Shattering * Emergence of Dwerrow Abominations =Major Polities= All Dwarves have a Heartstone. This is the source of their power. Category:Itsula races Category:Itsula